Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 66.39
Liaison Maria Kirrane
Submission Date July 20, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University College Cork - National University of Ireland, Cork
EN-14: Participation in Public Policy

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Maria Kirrane
Sustainability Officer
Office of the Director of Buildings and Estates
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Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the municipal/local level?:
Yes

A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the municipal/local level, including the issues, legislation, and ordinances for or against which the institution has advocated:
UCC's commuter manager represents the university on the Cork Transport and Mobility Forum. This Forum lobbies for better infrastructure and supports for sustainable and active travel options in Cork City and Region. A list of submissions made by the Transport and Mobility Forum is available on the group's website https://transportandmobilityforum.com/letters-for-change/ UCC Chemistry department have been involved in monitoring impacts of a car ban in Cork City on air pollution.

Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the state/provincial/regional level?:
Yes

A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the state/provincial/regional level, including the issues, legislation, and ordinances for or against which the institution has advocated:
UCC engages in public policy advocacy through the activities and expertise of it's researchers. The university continually reaches out to government departments to offer the knowledge and expertise of it's staff in the areas of environment and sustainability, on campuses and more broadly. UCC contributed to the Irish Government's "National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development". Two UCC researchers served as expert advisers to the the Citizen's Assembly on Climate Change this year, while others made submissions as representatives of UCC. The Citizen's Assembly is a body comprising randomly selected members of the public, selected by the Irish government to consider some of the most important issues facing Ireland’s future. The recommendations of the assembly will be put to a government committee on Climate Action which will issue recommendations in early 2019. In 2016, UCC Environmental Society began a petition which eventually led to the drafting of a bill to ban the sale, import and manufacture of microbeads in Ireland. It is hoped that this bill will be implemented by the end of 2018.

Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the national level?:
Yes

A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the national level, including the issues, legislation, and ordinances for or against which the institution has advocated:
UCC engages in public policy advocacy through the activities and expertise of it's researchers. The university continually reaches out to government departments to offer the knowledge and expertise of it's staff in the areas of environment and sustainability, on campuses and more broadly. UCC contributed to the Irish Government's "National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development". Two UCC researchers served as expert advisers to the the Citizen's Assembly on Climate Change this year, while others made submissions as representatives of UCC. The Citizen's Assembly is a body comprising randomly selected members of the public, selected by the Irish government to consider some of the most important issues facing Ireland’s future. The recommendations of the assembly will be put to a government committee on Climate Action which will issue recommendations in early 2019. In 2016, UCC Environmental Society began a petition which eventually led to the drafting of a bill to ban the sale, import and manufacture of microbeads in Ireland. It is hoped that this bill will be implemented by the end of 2018.

Does the institution advocate for public policies that support campus sustainability or that otherwise advance sustainability at the international level?:
Yes

A brief description of how the institution engages in public policy advocacy for sustainability at the international level, including the issues, legislation, and ordinances for or against which the institution has advocated:
The Environmental Research Institute at UCC has sent a delegation to COP 21, COP 22, and COP23. At COP 21, the delegation, led by Prof Brian Ó Gallachoir, held a side event entitled Equitable Decarbonisation of the Global Energy System where they presented results of research carried out on an equitable approach to meeting the 2 degree cap on human induced global warming. UCC's Centre for Sustainable Livelihoods undertakes advocacy on global issues of sustainability, food security and equality, as one of it's core missions. The Centre provides information and expertise for a range of individuals and groups including policy makers, NGOs, other research institutions and the general public.

Optional Fields 

A brief description of other political positions the institution has taken during the previous three years (if applicable):
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None
A brief description of political donations the institution made during the previous three years (if applicable):
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The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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